We Are All Affiliates

Back when I worked for BT Telesales calling existing customers to sell them the latest and greatest deals from BT, we were always told that “you will tell one person about a great product, but tell five people about a bad product”. This still rings true today. Try it; ask a friend for advice on something you were thinking to buy and watch the type of advice you get.

In affiliate marketing, your aim is to refer people to a place or product to purchase thus making you money for the trouble. What most people don’t realise is that they are already carrying out affiliate marketing by offering advice to their friends and families.

Look Around You

Think about it, what things do most people have in common? They pay utility bills, they rent services from companies and they buy things from people. Most of the companies that people interact with have some kind of affiliate scheme running. With this in mind, why not put your recommendations to good use and make yourself some money in the long run.

It Sounds So 90’s

I agree that it sounds very 90’s with Paid-To-Surf, Win-An-iPod Pyramid-Referrals etc, but thankfully things have moved on since then. Affiliate marketing has matured and most companies are very strict with how they receive new business – also, the types of schemes I am referring to require a tangible purchase.

Utility Providers

Most people buy their gas and electricity from someone. For example, I get my gas and electricity from British Gas for my home, and guess what – they offer a refer-a-friend system. I’m happy with their service and I would recommend them. So the next time someone asks my advice I will refer them to the British Gas website but include my affiliate link.

Telecommunications & Internet

We all have a phone line in the format of a landline or a mobile, and most of us have an ISP (Internet Service Provider). This is the most common of questions I receive when it comes to “who would I recommend”. There are several companies out there that offer referral schemes for Internet and Telephone packages including Virgin, Plus.net, T-Mobile etc.

Banking

Everyone has a bank account (at least 99.9% of people) and they are always looking to save money. Many of the banks offer affiliate schemes including Lloyds TSB, FirstDirect etc.

Website Hosting

Since you’re reading an SEO blog I assume you had a website or at least a connection to them. Website hosting is essential when it comes to websites so I always get asked who I recommend. Personally, I recommend Heart Internet because of their fantastic service and uptime. Again, most companies offer a referral scheme including DonHost, 1and1 etc.

As you can see there are loads of places you can already start referring people too based purely on your experience. There seems to be a stigma that most affiliates are dodgy and only out for the clicks and the signups. Whilst this may be true with some people, it doesn’t have to stop you from being honest and referring your friends whilst making a little cash for yourself.

P.S. The reason I didn’t include any of my affiliate links in this post is because I wanted to point out how common it is for companies to offer refer a friend schemes and how people can use this to their ability. Maybe it’s my loss, but there you go. If you do want me to provide you with an affiliate link for any of the above, contact me.

About the Author

Kev Strong is an online marketing consultant at Newcastle Upon Tyne based digital marketing agency, Mediaworks.
A lover of all things search and an ex-web developer, Kev Strong (a.k.a Goosh) is a specialist in advanced search engine optimisation.